A Bombyx mandarina mutant exhibiting translucent larval skin is controlled by the molybdenum cofactor sulfurase gene

Abstract

During the maintenance of the wild silkworm, Bombyx mandarina, a mutant phenotype exhibiting translucent skin was identified. Based on the crossing experiments with the domesticated silkworm, Bombyx mori, we found that the mutant was controlled by molybdenum cofactor sulfurase (MoCoS) gene. We designated the mutant ''Ozaki's translucent'' (og(Z)). We found a 2.1-kb deletion containing the transcription initiation site, exons 1 and 2, and the 5' end of exon 3 of the MoCoS gene. The transcript of the MoCoS gene was not detected in the og(Z) homozygote. We concluded that og(Z) is a complete loss-of-function allele generated by a disruption of the MoCoS gene.